Leaving a Mark

by Katerina Canyon

 

Her stained hands wear beet juice like blood
as her dark fingers glide
the thin silver steel blade around
one cardinal globe after another

It is difficult to distinguish the difference
between skin and flesh

but she does it adeptly

I ask, how can you do that so easily?

She responds, I just do

Husks break free
and blotch the butcher block crimson

I ask,
doesn’t it scare you to use something so big?

No
she responds

Her large butcher knife hovers
and dances over the submissive orb
as it turns

I ask, what’s a period?

She nicks her finger
winces, drops the beet
and grabs a towel

I tell her,
you should use a peeler

She says, it’s a sorry
tool that blames its master

I reply,
I think you got that backwards

She slams the knife on the board
and with a quick flash of turning tide,

she looks me in the eye and
says
Girl, you know what I mean

I look down quickly
pick up a beet peel
and dye my fingertips red